Lionel Messi shows off his 6th Ballon d’Or trophy as he poses with his family (Photo)

Last night, Lionel Messi became the first-ever player to win sixth Ballon d’Or trophy after edging out Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award in Paris.



Taking to his Instagram page hours ago, the Barcelona and Argentine playmaker shared a family photo of himself posing with his new trophy alongside his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo and their sons, Thiago and Mateo.

Basket Mouth releases a statement after he was removed as an ambassador for the European Union in Nigeria’s campaign against Sexual and Gender Based Violence

Basket Mouth has released a statement in reaction to being removed as an ambassador for the European Union in Nigeria’s campaign against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.



The comedian was one of the Nigerian celebrities who were chosen to be advocates for the EU's cause on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).



However there was an outrage on social media after the comedian was revealed as one of the ambassadors. Twitter users brought up a 2014 joke he made about rape and said he was not fit to represent women and the issues they face.



He was removed following the outrage.



Reacting to his removal, Basket Mouth released a statement on Instagram.



He shared a photo collage of a number of women, including his daughter, his wife, Busola Dakolo, and more and wrote:




Almost every morning in the blogs, on the news, there's a picture of a man sitting on the floor pleading, the caption is usually in the line of 'its the devils handwork' and the topic is from underage defilement, rape or brutality against a woman or minor. I live in this same world with my most prized possessions my wife, my two daughters, my sisters and women who have built me into the man I am.

I was recently presented an opportunity to create awareness on the efforts of the EU to bring support to fighting this scourge, it was a no-brainer for me. I refused any compensation for it and volunteered to lend my voice because....its our fight, it's not for the EU...its for my girls' future.

Unfortunately, a few years ago I shared up a Facebook post that I thought was shedding light through humor to the entitled crude and very present behavioral patterns of some African men who equate spending to sexual favors, but I also realized then that women actually have to face this daily and its harrowing and I deeply apologized for it

I sincerely pray that this does not take away from the most important fight of our lives....the fight to secure our future...because the girl child is our future. I strongly appreciate the EU for this amazing platform to improve our lot, as long as the message reaches the ears of those who need it, then it's a win. To every woman - our mothers, sisters, lovers, wives, crowns, supporters, prayer partners, foundation, life.... thank you for being who you are. So many times you sacrifice who you are for a man to become who he wants to be. It's time we all love and and also support you like you do us....cos in your light, we all shine

Bless.

Lionel Messi shows off his 6th Ballon d’Or trophy as he poses with his family (Photo)

Last night, Lionel Messi became the first-ever player to win sixth Ballon d’Or trophy after edging out Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award in Paris.



Taking to his Instagram page hours ago, the Barcelona and Argentine playmaker shared a family photo of himself posing with his new trophy alongside his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo and their sons, Thiago and Mateo.

Photos of Saraki's multimillionaire houses forfeited to the FG

On Monday December 2nd, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the forefiture of two multimillionaire houses owned by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the Federal government.



The EFCC had dragged Saraki before the court with claims that the houses are proceeds from some illicit activities Saraki engaged in while he was governor of Kwara state between 2003 to 2011.



See another photo below,

I will support the Hate Speech Bill if its first victims are Buhari, Tinubu, Lai Mohammed, El-Rufai, Festus Keyamo & Amaechi' - FFK

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, says he will throw his weight behind the controversial hate speech bill if the first victims to be sanctioned are President Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Nasir El-Rufai, Festus Keyamo and Rotimi Amaechi for the ''hateful words they have spoken over the years.''

Saraki reacts as court orders forfeiture of his houses

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has reacted to an order issued by a Federal High Court in Lagos for the forfeiture of his two houses in Ilorin, Kwara State's capital.



In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu, the former Governor of Kwara state averred that EFCC's claim that the two properties designated as Plots No. 10 and No. 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin, were built with proceeds of fraud is outrightly false as they were partly built by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010.



Saraki also alleged that the anti-graft agency is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy.




The statement read in part “The EFCC’s claim that the Ilorin property was built by any proceed of fraud is outrightly false. The fact is that the Ilorin property was built partly by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 while Dr. Saraki personally funded the remaining cost of the building.

“There are existing letters from the Office of the Head of Service of Kwara State notifying the former Governor (Saraki) of the State Government’s compliance with the State Pension for Governor’s law and the one indicating his intention to bear the cost of the additional expenditure that will arise from building the property to his desired taste dated 25th January 2012 and 8th February 2012 respectively.

“The construction of the building did not commence until the last few weeks of Dr. Saraki’s tenure as Governor and the bulk of his contribution to the funding were made with cheques. Where cash was involved, this was mainly in 2012 and 2013, more than a year after he had left office as Governor.

“It should also be noted that the land on which the house is built is not a government allocated land.

“One can only see that EFCC is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy.”

He expressed surprise that the EFCC “could not even hide its penchant for abusing the nation’s judicial institution as it engaged in forum shopping when it filed a suit in Lagos on a property situated in Ilorin.

“We will like to restate our earlier position that Dr. Saraki will contest this matter in court at least to further attest to his belief in the rule of law, the sanctity of the courts and their enduring readiness to do justice in all matters and to all persons.

“Let it be known that the usual claim by the EFCC that its actions were directed against corrupt elements does not apply to Dr. Saraki because he is a man who at every point in his public service has sought to institute transparency and accountability in governance.”



Recall that the EFCC claimed that it uncovered monumental fraud perpetrated in the treasury of the Kwara State Government between 2003 and 2011 when Saraki was the governor of the state, as it sought the forfeiture of the properties.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister calls out Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk over his joke about the Juventus striker at Ballon d’Or awards

Katia Aveiro, the sister of Cristiano Ronaldo has put Liverpool's defender Virgil van Dijk on blast over his joke about the Juventus striker at the Ballon d’Or awards on Monday night..



Ronaldo failed to show up for the ceremony in Paris and instead attended the 2019 Gran Gala del Calcio gala in Milan to collect his ‘Best Player in Serie A’ award.



When Van Dijk was being interviewed by Dutch television station RTL7 before the Ballon d’Or gala, the interviewer pointed out to Van Dijk that Ronaldo’s absence meant that he had one less rival to contend with for the Ballon d’Or award and the Liverpool defender replied: ‘Was he a rival then?’


Well, this didn't go down well for Ronaldo's sister Katia, who has now slammed Van Dijk in a lengthy rant on Instagram.




‘I think there are people living completely frustrated !!! And unrealistic… such humility!’ Katia wrote.



‘It is well known that Ronaldo will not win tonight’s prize. Although I have won important collective titles … but this is another conversation and that up ahead we will see where the truth about football will come !!!



‘Now, dear Virgil, where you are going, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone and has come a thousand times.


‘You see, my dear Virgil, that Cristiano Ronaldo was a tri-champion in the country where you have been playing for years and you still haven’t got your hand in the can.



‘Cristiano Ronaldo was even the best player and best scorer in the country where you play Virgil. By the way, I was even younger than you.



Then, dear Virgil, Cristiano Ronaldo went to other places and became the greatest player in the history of a clubezito.



‘Real Madrid, tell you something Virgil? Maybe so, because this club, with this Cristiano guy, even beat you in the Champions League final. Of these, Ronaldo already has five, Virgil.



And that fellow Ronaldo and team-mates, with the corners on his chest, crushed your “orange” in a final. Was it hard, Virgil? We have pity. And, dear Virgil, In one of the least successful times of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has won even more titles than you. Awesome, isn’t it?



‘Now Virgil will win titles from those who really count and then we’ll talk. When you have a handful of them, the really important ones, you might be able to sit at the table with Cristiano. Or as they say in our land, it grows and appears!

‘It’s for me Cristiano you are and you will always be the best player in the world !!! And who does not like to put it on the wheel of the plate !!! (as they say in our land, small for many) but where came the best ever.’



Van Dijk finished second behind Lionel Messi as the Barcelona forward won the sixth Ballon d’Or trophy of his career to break ties with Ronaldo, who finished third in the rankings.

Former US president Jimmy Carter, 95, hospitalized for urinary tract infection

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was admitted to a south Georgia hospital over the weekend for treatment of a urinary tract infection, a spokeswoman said in a statement.



This comes just days after he returned home following surgery to relieve bleeding on the brain.



Deanna Congileo, a spokeswoman for The Carter Center, said in a statement that the 95-year-old former president was admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus over the weekend.



'He is feeling better and looks forward to returning home soon. We will issue a statement when he is released for further rest and recovery at home,' she added.



Carter, a Democrat, who was the 39th president of the United States, serving one term from 1977 until 1981 has been faced with several health challenges in recent years.



Last month, he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain from bleeding linked to recent falls. Carter was also diagnosed with melanoma in 2015, announcing that the cancer had spread to other parts of his body.



After partial removal of his liver, treatment for brain lesions, radiation and immunotherapy, he said he was cancer-free. On October 6, he hit his head in another fall and received 14 stitches.



He fractured his pelvis in another fall later that month and was briefly hospitalized. Carter was released from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta after recovering from surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by bleeding from a fall.



Carter, who surpassed George H.W. Bush as the longest-lived US president in history this year, said: 'I assumed, naturally, that I was going to die very quickly,' he said of his 2015 cancer diagnosis.



'I obviously prayed about it. I didn't ask God to let me live, but I asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death.'



'It didn't really matter to me whether I died or lived. Except I was going to miss my family, and miss the work at the Carter Center and miss teaching your Sunday school service sometimes and so forth. All those delightful things,' he said.

Extreme poverty may hit Nigerians soon – World Bank warns

The World Bank in its 2019 Nigeria Economic Update Report which was released on Monday Decemeber 2, warned that Nigeria might be home to 25 per cent of the world’s destitute people if the government fails to revive economic growth and create jobs.



The international finance institution urged the Buhari-led administration to increase domestic revenue, remove trade restrictions and improve the predictability of economic policy following a projection of the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty increasing by more than 30 million by 2030.



The World Bank also stated that the Nigeria's economic growth projected to pick up from 1. 9 per cent in 2018 to two per cent in 2019, is vulnerable to external and domestic risks including geopolitical and trade tensions that may affect inflows of private investment. It also warned that the country might slide back into recession if crude prices falls by 25 per cent to $50 a barrel.




The report read: “Economic and demographic projections highlight the urgent need for reform

“With population growth (estimated at 2. 6 per cent) outpacing economic growth in a context of weak job creation , per capital income is falling . Today , an estimated 100 million Nigerians live on less than $1. 90 per day.

“Close to 80 per cent of poor households are in northern Nigeria, while employment creation and income gains have been concentrated on central and southern Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s economy is expected to grow by 2. 1 per cent in 2020 and 2021, compared to an annual population growth rate of 2. 6 per cent.

“Nigeria’ s economy is recovering gradually from the 2016 recession, with growth projected to pick up from 1. 9 per cent in 2018 to two per cent in 2019

“But the projected growth outlook is vulnerable to external and domestic risks , including geopolitical and trade tensions that may affect inflows of private investment.

“Nigeria has the opportunity to advance reforms to mitigate these risks amid growing public demand for greater economic opportunities.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should increase domestic revenue , remove trade restrictions and improve the predictability of economic policy.

“Nigerian government should remove expensive fuel subsidies and reduce lending to targeted sectors that crowd out banks. Failure to take actions would see more Nigerians falling into extreme poverty.

“The cost of inaction is significant. Under a business -as- usual scenario, where Nigeria maintains the current pace of growth and employment levels , by 2030, the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty could increase by more than 30 million,” the Bank warned.